The Network is truly unique in that it is the first organization in the country to successfully implement an adapted version of the Resource and Patient Management System (“RPMS”) clinical information system developed and used by Indian Health Service.  RPMS for Community Health is a health centered configured version of the RPMS software platform (a software platform that is largely in the public domain with a limited number of modules that are proprietary) that has been used by the Indian Health Service to dramatically improve health outcomes for tribal populations in a number of ambulatory care settings.  RPMS for Community Health has templates and tools adapted for use in community health centers and can serve as an alternative to commercial applications to rapidly accelerate the adoption of population-based, patient-centered electronic health information technology.
 

The Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) is a robust and time-tested electronic healthcare information system for cost-effective management of clinical, administrative, and patient encounter-related financial information. Because RPMS is fully integrated, data that is captured and entered at various service points is available to all associated software applications, regardless of which application is used or where it is entered. This ensures multidisciplinary providers quick and easy access to all pertinent patient information, including laboratory results, medications prescribed, physical complaints made to other providers — anything that has ever been recorded and entered about the patient’s medical history. Thus, clinicians and other providers have the information they need to provide patients efficient and high-quality care. All this, and its additional community and group health information capabilities have made RPMS the Indian health community’s preferred healthcare information management system for over 30 years.